Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy
As humans, our perceptions
of the world, of people and of situations and events are being formed from the
moment we are born. Throughout our
childhoods and our adult years, the experiences that we have and the influences
that we are subjected to all contribute to how we think, feel and behave. In some cases we might grow up with healthy
and positive thoughts and emotions which spiral upwards towards healthy and
positive behaviour, and in turn to more healthy and positive thoughts. In other cases, however, our thinking can
become derailed and we find ourselves unable to deal with situations and events
which others seem to handle with ease.
As our confidence and self-esteem drain away, we come to see ourselves
as unworthy of happiness and success, and our ‘faulty’ thinking leads us to
making unhealthy decisions in our lives and to adopting sometimes harmful
coping mechanisms. Effectively, we
subconsciously create and perpetuate our own problems.
Most of us are probably
familiar with the centuries-old concept that it is not the situations and
events in our lives which have the potential to cause us so much distress, but
how we view them. We can see this in
situations where two separate individuals experience exactly the same event but
react in entirely different ways with entirely different outcomes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
essentially works with our thoughts, beliefs and attitudes (the cognitive
aspects), as well as our behaviour, to modify both at the same time and in such
a way that positive and lasting change is the result.
Who might benefit from
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy is a perfectly safe treatment which has been used to successfully treat
a whole range of emotional and psychological illnesses over the years. Although often the symptoms present
themselves in a ‘physical’ sense, because they stem from dysfunctional thoughts
and beliefs, the following have all been found to respond extremely well to
CBT:
Depression- Obsessive
compulsive disorders – Anxiety - Panic attacks - Phobias - Chronic fatigue - Eating
disorders – Schizophrenia - Substance abuse problems - Post Traumatic Stress
Disorders - Psychosomatic problems - Relationship problems - Sexual dysfunctions -
Personality disorders
CBT is a treatment which
can be used for individuals, but it also works very effectively with couples
and groups.
How does it work?
CBT begins by getting to
the root of faulty thinking and understanding how unhealthy coping mechanisms
originated in the context of the individual’s own personal history and life
experiences. By appreciating how their
thought and behaviour patterns developed in the first place, they come to
understand how their current means of dealing with situations and interacting
with the world around them may be contributing to their difficulties and
actually making matters worse. This
cognitive aspect of the therapy helps the client to recognise the particular
ways of thinking which lead to anxiety, depression, anger and other negative
emotions, encourages them to question their formerly-held beliefs and to apply
evidence and logic in such a way that they are able to replace unrealistic,
unhelpful or even harmful thoughts with more balanced interpretations,
predictions and assumptions.
Because the focus of the
treatment is on changing the cognitions and behaviours which are perpetuating a
problem, however, it is not limited to ‘talk therapy’ and is very much
action-oriented. Based on the client’s own
strengths and resources, a plan is developed which involves such things as
practising different techniques, taking part in behavioural experiments and
completing cognitive-monitoring diaries, all with the aim of bringing about the
desired change. The behavioural aspect
of the treatment is important because new thoughts generally need to be
accompanied by new experiences in order for old emotional feelings and
reactions to be replaced with healthier and more positive ones. Under the guidance of the therapist, the
individual is able to experiment with new ways of doing things and to evaluate
the outcomes.
Mind and body are, of
course, inseparable, and because our thinking can trigger or fuel certain
unwanted and sometimes harmful physical reactions, CBT also uses various
techniques which are aimed at reducing tension in the body and promoting
relaxation.
Why does it work so well?
There are three key
reasons why CBT is such an effective and successful treatment. First of all, recovery comes from
understanding the root cause of the problems that the individual has
experienced in the past. Unlike using
medication, therefore, it does not just deal with symptoms and it does not act
as a ‘sticking plaster’. Secondly, the
treatment is not one which is imposed on sufferers, but is one in which they
play an active role. Throughout the
treatment, they are learning healthy and positive new methods which are
relevant to their lives and which work for them.
Thirdly, and perhaps most
importantly, CBT provides clients with what are effectively tools for
life. Their new levels of understanding
allow them to spot instantly if former unhealthy thinking or behaviour starts to
creep back in, but this time they are consciously aware of what is happening
and they have the tools at their disposal to deal with the situation. For this reason, CBT has the power to bring
real and lasting change which can improve the quality of life, literally for a
lifetime. Once they have learned, it
becomes very difficult to ‘unlearn’.
How long does Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy treatment Last?
CBT is designed as a brief
intervention, but it can also work for longer treatments. Typically, it would be offered as a package
of 10 to 20 weekly sessions of one hour’s duration, although the duration,
frequency and format of the sessions will of course depend upon the nature of
the problem as well as on other factors.
Structured homework assignments are an important component of both
behavioural and cognitive treatments.
While the bulk of the sessions tends to concentrate on teaching,
reviewing and applying new strategies, the homework assignments allow patients
to practise their new skills in the ‘outside’ world whilst still having the
support and guidance of a trained therapist.
As humans, our perceptions
of the world, of people and of situations and events are being formed from the
moment we are born. Throughout our
childhoods and our adult years, the experiences that we have and the influences
that we are subjected to all contribute to how we think, feel and behave. In some cases we might grow up with healthy
and positive thoughts and emotions which spiral upwards towards healthy and
positive behaviour, and in turn to more healthy and positive thoughts. In other cases, however, our thinking can
become derailed and we find ourselves unable to deal with situations and events
which others seem to handle with ease.
As our confidence and self-esteem drain away, we come to see ourselves
as unworthy of happiness and success, and our ‘faulty’ thinking leads us to
making unhealthy decisions in our lives and to adopting sometimes harmful
coping mechanisms. Effectively, we
subconsciously create and perpetuate our own problems. CBT begins by getting to
the root of faulty thinking and understanding how unhealthy coping mechanisms
originated in the context of the individual’s own personal history and life
experiences. By appreciating how their
thought and behaviour patterns developed in the first place, they come to
understand how their current means of dealing with situations and interacting
with the world around them may be contributing to their difficulties and
actually making matters worse. This
cognitive aspect of the therapy helps the client to recognise the particular
ways of thinking which lead to anxiety, depression, anger and other negative
emotions, encourages them to question their formerly-held beliefs and to apply
evidence and logic in such a way that they are able to replace unrealistic,
unhelpful or even harmful thoughts with more balanced interpretations,
predictions and assumptions.There are three key
reasons why CBT is such an effective and successful treatment. First of all, recovery comes from
understanding the root cause of the problems that the individual has
experienced in the past. Unlike using
medication, therefore, it does not just deal with symptoms and it does not act
as a ‘sticking plaster’. Secondly, the
treatment is not one which is imposed on sufferers, but is one in which they
play an active role. Throughout the
treatment, they are learning healthy and positive new methods which are
relevant to their lives and which work for them.